Licking photographs

[lailamara]

Maya will lick the front of photos. What is this bizzare behaviour ? Bodhi doesn't do this. I had a cat, a female Zoe , who also used to do this. Anyone else have a cat with a prediliction for photos ? Maybe it's the chemicals they use to develop them ?:confused:

[K & L]

It could be due to the slight odor they smell and the texture.

Maya does it too , but only with Fister's picture ;) :p ;)

[sasvermont]

I had a cat that lived to be 18 - used to lick black and white as well as color photographs. The chemicals are not good for the cat, but it didn't seem to bother Demian since he lived to be 18. He would climb shelves and take them out of frames, just to get to them. Needless to say, he destroyed many a photograph until I learned to hide them.

I would suggest you try to discourage your critters from licking them. Maybe it is a habit - a certain smell? Beats me. No other cats of mine have ever done it.

Cats are odd little things, aren't they?

;)

[Freckles]

This (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5320&highlight=licking) may give you some more ideas.

[ScantyNebula]

I read in a book : 8 weird things some cats eat or lick:

1. your face or hair - your moisturizer, cosmetics, or shampoo could come from by-products of slaughtered farm animals. Change your brand, or wash your face or hair in a little lemon juice or vinegar.
2. stamps - cats can be attraacted to the glue, which may contain remdered animal parts.
3. photographs - chemicals used in the processing of film could be attractive to your cat. Like stamps, there probably aren't enough noxious products on the photos to harm your cat, unless you're a professional photographer.
4. dirt - If there's not medical problem causing your cat to eat dirt, just make sure the soil - whether from your garden or your houseplants - doesn't contain pesticides, fertilizers, or chemicals.
5. concrete, metal, and other weird things
6. crossword puzzles (newspapers or letters) - the ink from the pen could be attracting your cat.
7. olives - experts believe its the preservatives in the jar that attracts the cat - plus the fact that some cats like food they can bat around before eating.
8. ice cubes - the texture and the temperature also seem to make ice cubes a popular item fro cats to eat and play with.

[lailamara]

Wow, thanks for all the info everyone ! Glad to know Maya isn't totally weird. She does sniff everything very thoroughly, more so than Bodhi. They both enjoyed a stinky cheese I bought , very expensive imported from England called "The Stinking Bishop." The cats and I are the only ones who appreciate this cheese. My husband quadruple wrapped it. He need not worry. We'll finish it off in no time!
:D :eek: :rolleyes: :p

[Barbara]

Oh I knew Tigris and Maya are made for each other: Tigris rubs his nose all over freshly printed stuff like magazines -but only over the colour pictures. His nose gets very wet then and the paper too:rolleyes: and he -I don't know the word- he uses his Jacobson organ? You know the taste/smell thing cats have at their palate.

[Stinkerbell]

yes! My nieces cat does the same thing..weird huh?

[fairlady68]

Hi, I have written before about my cat, Julie, and how she likes to lick plastic things. She did one time try to lick a posterboard I had with a display photo of Cal Expo (the California State Fairground) on it. I had to put it away because I needed it for an exhibit I was participating in!

But I also try to keep plastic bags, especially the nasty white ones that come from the grocery store, away from her. I am always worried a piece of plastic will come off and get stuck in her throat. Julie also licks my laundry baskets and some plastic chairs that I have.

When I wrote about this previously, people also mentioned the possibility that there is some sort of animal product or smell in the plastic that attracts her.

Now Julie's latest passion is climbing up on the bathtub rim, craning her neck over and licking the bathtub faucet to drink the microscopic water droplets falling from it. As if her perfectly nice bowl of water, which I change fresh daily, is not good enough for her ... I guess she thinks it tastes better the harder she works for it.

And you are right, kitties are funny little things, but I would not trade mine for the world--probably because I am a funny big thing myself {8-)

Pray for Peace! Martha and Julie the Calico Princess

[smokey the elder]

The emulsion that has the silver in it is gelatin based. Gelatin is from animals. That's probably why the cats like it.